California Auto Insurance Protection for Vintage Cars

Whether an automobile was made 30 days ago or 30 years ago it needs California auto insurance if it is going to be driven on the open road. We’ve all seen those beautiful vintage cars at parades and special events wishing we had one of our own. But this sector of automobile ownership comes with its own set of challenges. An owner of a vintage automobile could find themselves paying a small fortune for insurance coverage if they don’t do their homework. Classic car owners however do have a lot going for them in terms of substantiating discounts with insurance carriers.

Capitalizing on California Auto Insurance Discounts

One of the first figures that will have to be established when obtaining a California auto insurance policy is the value of the vintage automobile. Collector auctions and sales will provide value benchmarks that owners and carriers can use to write policies and calculate premiums. The establishment of insured value is important to the owner of the vintage automobile because it not only provides the coverage baseline but creates the policy value as well. The established value will be the amount of money the insurance company will pay out of the car is unable to be repaired or replaced.

One area that can lead to discounts for your classic car California auto insurance policy is the amount of usage or mileage registered on the car annually. The more a car is driven the greater the chances it will be involved in an accident. Insurance companies use the miles driven to calculate premium rates. Due to the fact that classic cars tend to be driven less then 3,000 miles per year a discount on the cost coverage can be written into the policy. Of course you will want to be certain that the amount of miles driven per year is accurately used to determine the premium on the policy.

Getting the Biggest Bang for your California Auto Insurance Buck

A vintage automobile that is in good condition is going to be easier to insure with a California auto insurance company. In fact a poorly maintained vintage auto may be difficult to insure in the first place. Taking care of your classic auto is one way of ensuring that coverage is available which will protect your investment if an accident should happen. Vintage cars are not just the old Model T’s but can include some of the older muscle cars as well. These cars have high performance engines that would cost a mint to replace if they were damaged or destroyed. Taking care of your vintage automobile will allow the proper insurance coverage to be in place for a price that is reasonable.

Once you purchase a California auto insurance policy for your vintage automobile you shouldn’t just put it in the drawer until you need to file a claim. The classic and vintage automobile markets fluctuate each year and it is a good idea to evaluate you policy regularly. It is a good idea to check if your coverage is adequate and in step with any increase in the market. Checking coverage levels annually should be sufficient to accomplish this.